The Tri-Valley school district in Downs has seven candidates who have filed to run for school board in the April 1 election. The deadline to file is the close of business Monday.
There are four seats up for election in Tri-Valley Community Unit School District [CUSD] 3. Three incumbents are running: Brian Myers, Ryan Nicholson, and Robert "Bobby" Brown. The other filers include Casey Misch, Thomas Stark, Mariah Bruning, and Amy Pitzer. [Current board member JB Goff decided not to run.]
There is a limit of three board members from each township within the Tri-Valley District. This creates a potential scenario where a candidate could finish among the top four vote-getters, but not win election because someone who finished ahead of that person plus existing board members who are not up for election this year make up the maximum number that can be seated from a certain township.
According to the superintendent’s office, Myers and Nicholson live in Old Town Township. There also is a seated board member from Old Town Township who is not up for election this cycle [Cally Shane], so a challenger would have to finish ahead of either Myers or Nicholson to win a seat. Brown lives in Downs Township as does another board member who is not up for election this year[(Jessica Alt].
It’s not immediately known which township the new candidates hail from. Casey Misch ran for the board two years ago and did not win.
Superintendent Benjamin Derges said he was not aware of any particular issues that are driving the number of candidate filings.
Unit 5
In Bloomington-Normal, the Unit 5 school district will not have a contested race.
In Unit 5, newcomer Patrick Mainieri has filed. He would fill a vacancy created by Jeremy DeHaai’s decision not to run again. Also filing are incumbents Stan Gozur and Kentrica Coleman.
District 87
In Bloomington's District 87, incumbents Bridget Gibson, Charles Irwin, Elizabeth Fox Anvick, and Cathy Lust have filed for four-year terms. Irwin is the current vice president. Lust was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2023 and is running for a full term.
Courtney Turnbull, Mark Wylie, and Veleda Harvey won four-year terms in 2023 and are in the middle of their terms.
Other districts
Olympia — Mary Springer, Justin Dietrich, and Laura Beavers filed for full terms.
Heyworth — Incumbents Russell Maas, Terri Kopp, and Matthew Troha, and new filers Chad Cline, and Brian Girdler.
Ridgeview — Brittney Van Note, Pamela Rathke, and Preston McNamara.
LeRoy — Incumbents Andy Johnson and Bryon Owens filed. The term of current board member Kevin Daugherty expires next year as well.
Lexington — Jason Thomas, Andrea McBurney, and Andrew Killian have filed for four-year terms.
Heartland Community College
There are three six-year term positions on the ballot for the Heartland Community College Board of Trustees.
Four candidates are running. Incumbents Janet Hood and Thomas Whitt have filed, as have Laurie Bergner and Dave Selzer.
Selzer is a former McLean County Board member who ran unsuccessfully for the Heartland board in 2023.
Meanwhile, the board will appoint someone within the next two months to temporarily fill one of the openings. Current trustee Jeffrey Flessner is stepping down at the end of the month. Flessner went on the Heartland board in 2013.
“Over the last few decades, Jeff Flessner’s knowledge, expertise, and leadership has helped shape Heartland Community College into what it is today,” said board chair Becky Ropp. “Jeff’s professional background has helped us navigate the ever-changing business and insurance world.”
